The league also fined Sky forward Angel Reese $1,000 for failing to make herself available to media after Saturday’s game and fined Chicago $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that the original plan was to roll out the charters gradually as they became available, but the league was able to secure charters for every team within a week of the season starting.
The Fever drew a crowd of 16,013 on a Tuesday night, about 1,200 spectators short of a sellout. It was the first time the Fever have failed to sell out this season.
Toronto will be the WNBA’s 14th franchise, with the expansion Golden State Valkyries to start play next year.
The Indiana Fever have drawn sellout crowds in all four of their games—two at home, one in New York and one at Connecticut. And league-wide attendance is up 14%.
The last athlete to have a similar signature basketball agreement with Wilson was Michael Jordan.
The Fever showed progress, playing a tight contest against a team that blew them out by 21 points just six days ago, but Indiana remains winless after four games.
The Indiana Fever star had the best game of her young pro career on Saturday, but the Fever lost 91-80 to the Liberty in New York City.
Amid high expectations, rookie Caitlin Clark struggled to find open shots and was hampered with foul trouble in her first home game for the Fever.
The Indiana Fever’s season-opening road game Tuesday night against the Connecticut Sun—featuring the debut of Caitlin Clark—was the most-watched WNBA game since 2001.
Sportsbooks say they expect increased betting on women’s sports overall this year because of Clark, the Olympics and increased media attention.
Clark struggled early in her WNBA debut Tuesday night as the visiting Indiana Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun 92-71 before a sellout crowd.
This Indiana Fever’s game in Connecticut will feature the second sold-out crowd Clark will play in front of in her extremely young WNBA career.
A Fever championship would have bookmakers sweating. They are the biggest liability at BetMGM Sportsbook, with nearly half the betting tickets on the Fever, who open the season Tuesday at the Connecticut Sun.
Clark struggled with her shooting, but the Fever managed a preseason victory over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night before a large, raucous crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Fever will open up the third deck of Gainbridge Fieldhouse rather than having seating in only the two lower decks. The change means Indiana could draw more than 17,000 fans to a preseason game.
The league plans to commit $50 million over the next two years to provide full-time charter flight service for its teams during the season in a move that addresses years of player safety concerns.
Sports columnist Doyel is serving a suspension following his widely criticized behavior toward Indiana Fever rookie Clark.
Clark will make her preseason debut on Friday night at Dallas—a game that is already sold out. On Stubhub, a floor-level seat for the game was listed at $791.
Clark is featured in the ESPN+ series focused on women’s college basketball stars, co-produced by Manning’s Omaha Productions.
